Prevalence of poor sleep quality among physicians and nurses in a tertiary health care center.

Objectives: Sleep quality among tertiary healthcare professionals in KSA has not been well studied. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to assess sleep quality among physicians and nurses in a tertiary care center in Jeddah City and to identify the associated factors. Methods: In this quantitative, analytical, cross-sectional study, an online, self-administered questionnaire was distributed to all physicians and nurses working at King Abdulaziz University Hospital (KAUH). A total of 395 healthcare professionals participated in this study. The questionnaire included the participants' demographic characteristics and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) values. Results: The mean age and body mass index of the participating healthcare professionals were 37.74 ± 10.35 years and 26.32 ± 4.97 kg/m2, respectively. Most participants were women (70.4%) and expatriates (55.4%). The prevalence of poor sleep quality was high: 70.4% of the participants had a PSQI score >5. Several factors, such as female sex (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 2.03; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.11-3.74), shift work (AOR = 1.87; 95% CI = 1.01-3.45), physical inactivity (AOR = 2.43; 95% CI = 1.01-5.85), and current smoking (AOR = 4.64; 95% CI = 1.68-12.80), were associated with poor sleep quality among healthcare professionals. Conclusions: Our findings are consistent with those from previous studies indicating high prevalence of poor sleep quality among healthcare professionals. Furthermore, female sex, shift work, smoking, and physical inactivity were identified as risk factors for poor sleep quality.

Consumption of energy drinks and their effects on sleep quality among medical students.

Background and Objectives: Energy drinks contain caffeine, which causes genuine concern among health professionals and authorities about their negative health effects. Their effect on sleep quality specifically was not well studied. In our study, we aim to assess the prevalence of energy drink consumption and its effect on the quality of sleep among Saudi medical students. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was done on 260 medical students who were in their first till the sixth academic year at King Abdulaziz University Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. An online questionnaire was distributed as a Google form including demographics, the beverage questionnaire (BEVQ-15), and the Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI). Results: Coffee was found to be the most favorite (56.5%) caffeinated beverage among medical students, 46.2% reported a sleep duration of 5 h, and 15% reported a sleep latency of more than 30 min. Also, 19.3% were found to have reduced sleep efficiency (less than 74%) and 82.6% used sleep medication once a week. Male students had a significantly higher mean frequency of drinking Energy & Sports drinks (Red Bull, code red, Gatorade, etc.) compared to females. Moreover, 74.6% of the medical students studied had poor sleep quality, with no relationship found between sleep quality and participant demographics, favorite caffeinated beverages, BEVQ-15 scale scores, or the frequency of energy drink consumption. In contrast, the PSQI and BEVQ-15 scores showed a significant positive correlation. Conclusion: Students at the university level should be educated on the causes of poor sleep quality and the effect of energy drinks on sleep quality. More research on a larger sample of Saudi university students is needed to determine the scope of the problem.

The Prevalence of Positional Obstructive Sleep Apnoea in a Sample of the Saudi Population.

PURPOSE: Positional obstructive sleep apnoea (POSA) is of important clinical significance, as positional treatment can augment or obviate continuous positive airway pressure. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of POSA and its characteristics using different definitions. METHODS: We retrospectively examined a cohort of patients who underwent polysomnography (PSG) between 2013 and 2019 at two sleep centres. Demographic data and PSG data were collected from 624 patients with an apnoea-hypopnea index (AHI) ≥ 5. POSA was defined using different criteria as follows: (1) AHI of at least twice as high in the supine position as in the lateral position (Cartwright' s definition). (2) A supine AHI ≥ 10 and a lateral AHI < 10 (Marklun's definition). (3) AHI of at least twice as high in the supine position than in the lateral position, with the lateral AHI not exceeding 5 (Mador's definition or Exclusive POSA; e-POSA). (4) AHI ≥ 15/h; a supine AHI ≥ twice that of the nonsupine AHI ≥ 20 min of sleep in the supine and nonsupine positions; and a nonsupine AHI < 15 (Bignold's definition). RESULTS: The prevalence of POSA was 54% (Cartwright), 38.6% (Mador), 33.8% (Marklund) and 8.3% (Bignold). Multivariate regression analysis showed a body mass index (BMI) < 35 kg/m2 was the only significant predictor of POSA. Mador's definition had the highest diagnostic yield (sensitivity 63%; specificity 100%; area under the receiver operating characteristic curve 90.2%). CONCLUSION: POSA is common, but its prevalence depends on the definition used. Low BMI was identified as a significant predictor.

Sleep quality and mental health in coronavirus disease 2019 patients and general population during the pandemic.

OBJECTIVE: Sleep problems during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic commonly affected general populations. Data on the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on sleep quality in Saudi Arabia are scarce. Thus, the aim of our study was to evaluate sleep quality and assess the psychological burden of the pandemic in COVID-19 patients and the general population. METHODS: This was a multicenter, observational, cross-sectional survey. Participants with COVID-19 were recruited from different health-care centers in the western region during the lockdown period from May 13, 2020 to September 2, 2020. All participants completed a validated online survey. The control group comprised individuals from the general public who responded to the online survey through social media. Demographic data, COVID-19 status, and history of chronic diseases were collected. Sleep quality, depression, and insomnia were assessed using validated questionnaires. RESULTS: In total, 1091 participants were surveyed and 643 (58.9%) were positive for COVID-19. Poor sleep quality was reported in 66.1% of COVID-19 patients (mean score ± standard deviation [SD] 6.9 ± 4.0) and 72.8% of controls (mean score ± SD 7.6 ± 4.3). Insomnia affected 50.5% of COVID-19 patients (mean score ± SD 6.5 ± 5.5) and 58.5% of controls (mean score ± SD 7.6 ± 5.5). Depression was diagnosed in 39.5% of COVID-19 patients (mean score ± SD 4.7 ± 4.6) and 70.1% of controls (mean score ± SD 8.9 ± 6.7). CONCLUSIONS: The COVID-19 pandemic had a great impact on mental health and sleep quality in both COVID-19 patients and the general population but more pronounced in the general population.

Prevalence of Obstructive Sleep Apnea Among Saudi Pilots.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the presence of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), using home sleep testing in pilots and first officers in Saudi-based airlines. This will allow for proper diagnosis and management of OSA in that group which can help in minimizing any possible aviation accidents related to sleep disturbances secondary to OSA. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study conducted through Saudi-based aviation among pilots and first officers who were in service, active, and flying short- to medium-haul flights. Forty-one participants met the inclusion criteria. However, 39 out of 41 completed the study questionnaires (Berlin questionnaire, Epworth sleepiness scale, Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI), Fatigue severity scale (FSS), Visual analog fatigue scale (VAFS), and Patient health questionnaire (PHQ9), along with home sleep testing. RESULTS: Sixty-nine percent of the study population had OSA by home sleep testing. Majority of which had mild OSA (64%) and 5% had moderate and severe OSA (2.5% each). Results of different questionnaires showed one-third of the participants had insomnia, 33.3% of the participants had severe fatigue, excessive daytime sleepiness was found in 23.1% of the participants, and 10.3% had moderate depression, while 25.6% were classified as having mild depression symptoms. CONCLUSION: Sleep apnea is prevalent among the studied Saudi-based airline pilots and first officers. Screening for workers of this high-risk occupation needs to be considered. Fatigue, depression, and insomnia can be secondary consequences of sleep apnea and should be assessed and treated early.

Correlation between the clinical severity of laryngomalacia and endoscopic findings.

OBJECTIVE: To correlate the clinical severity of laryngomalacia (LM) with endoscopic findings, swallowing evaluations and polysomnography in a cohort of patients. Method: We conducted a retrospective analysis between 2017-2018 on a cohort of patients diagnosed with upper airway obstruction (UAO), stridor, noisy breathing or laryngomalacia. This study took place at the Pediatric Pulmonology Department, Riley Children's Hospital, Indianapolis, United States of America. RESULTS:   There were 157 patients with laryngomalacia included in the study. Patients with severe LM were significantly younger than those with mild LM (p=0.0214) and moderate LM (p=0.0220). Subjects with type I of LM were significantly older than type III (p=0.0051). When associations were tested between polysomnogram (PSG) variables and clinical severity, there were significant associations with age at PSG. The overall apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) in mild (p=0.0103) and moderate (p=0.0242) were significantly lower than the severe group. The rapid eye movement (REM) AHI was significantly lower in moderate cases than severe (p=0.0134). The end-tidal carbon dioxide (EtCO2) peak was significantly lower in mild cases than severe (p=0.0141). The total sleep time (TST) peripheral capillary oxygen saturation (SpO2) 90% occurs in both mild (p=0.0197) and moderate (p=0.0498) were significantly lower than the severe group. CONCLUSIONS: The severity of the clinical manifestations of LM did not correlate with the different endoscopic types in our study. The presence of cyanosis was associated with type III LM. Rapid eye movement AHI and EtCO2 in polysomnogram were remained significantly associated with clinical severity.